Gina and Kyle: Learning to use an iPad has been invaluable

22 Jun 2016

Thanks to Family Fund and Good Things Foundation's Reboot UK programme, Gina has been able to purchase an iPad and learn how to use it, so she can better support her four-year-old son Kyle, who has autism.

Gina obtained a Family Fund grant for an iPad to support her son, Kyle, who is four and has autism. She says: “The iPad has been great for helping Kyle focus. It has a calming effect and has helped reduce the number of meltdowns he has. He doesn’t respond well in busy environments and so the iPad is great in helping him focus on something when there are lots of other things going on.”

Through Family Fund, Gina received free one-to-one training on her iPad at her home. “It’s been really useful,” she says. “I only had an Android phone before, so had no idea how to use the iPad. To be honest, I was a bit scared of giving it to Kyle as I didn’t know how to work it. Since I’ve had the training though, I feel so much more confident. I understand guided access now and how to restrict the websites Kyle visits. I’ve also implemented lots of pass codes and other controls which stop him accidentally going to inappropriate sites through adverts and similar.

“Kyle really likes the Marvel characters and has a Marvel app that he loves. It’s difficult to get him off it sometimes! Through the training, we learned how to create slideshows. Kyle has really taken to this and creates Marvel slideshows, which all help his creative learning. We’ve also downloaded some of the free learning apps and he often watches YouTube Kids which has an alphabet video that he enjoys watching.

“There’s been no downside to having an iPad and the training was invaluable. As well as the controls, the trainer showed us the calendar function which is really useful in keeping Kyle informed about things that are coming up. As well as Kyle, I have a five-year-old daughter and the two of them watch things together on the iPad. Kyle always decides what they watch though!”

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